Storm, of course, would've been content leaving her head on Logan's shoulder, but being a man of action, Logan soon grew restless and pulled away. She looked sad for a moment, but then he lowered his face down to hers and they kissed again, just as chemically as the last time. Storm could barely contain her emotion. She had spent so long watching him grieve for Jean, and now, finally, he was realizing that she was here now, and she would love him.

Some part of her knew that she may still be second the Jean, but she batted it down, thinking it was just her low self-esteem. And really, that was just her low self-esteem talking, but Logan was wondering the same thing. He was wondering if he could live with himself in a relationship with Storm. Could he live with that added guilt? He had to. She needed him, she had told him so. And if he could do something that really mattered to her, this was it.

Even though he realized that the guilt would just be weighing him down more, he hoped that this would brighten Storm's spirits, therefore brightening his in the process. He couldn't be sure, but he figured that for the next few weeks or so, Storm would be walking on the clouds like she had been that morning. He knew that Storm acting happy would be good for the children as well. But that didn't stop him from feeling guilty about it.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Leah was feeling very satisfied after a long afternoon of teaching. She sighed in content and sat down in her soft chair. She moved over to her table in the corner of the room and organized her lessons again, which she really didn't need to do. It was a habit. She didn't even think about it anymore; she just did it.

Storm waltzed in as she was finishing. Storm looked even more happy and dazed than she had that morning. Leah chuckled to herself before setting down her papers and moving over to meet Storm halfway. Storm's cheeks were red and her eyes bright. Leah shook her head and laughed.

"Maybe Angel was right. Did you get laid?" Storm laughed.

"Well, not yet," she replied with a giggle. She sounded like a little girl with a naughty secret. She danced past Leah and around the room. Leah couldn't help laughing again. This was so unlike the Storm she had first met. She had thought that Storm was slightly depressed, maybe something with her past. Leah didn't know. But she did know that something had totally changed in Storm.

"Who is it?" Leah asked, she too starting to sound like a child, excited to hear the forbidden secret. Storm shot her a long look with a wicked smile on her face. And, in that look, somehow Leah knew. She just knew. She gasped. "Logan?" she said quietly. Storm almost seemed to melt into a puddle at the sound of his name. She nodded dreamily. Leah began to push her out the door, still laughing.

"Get out of my classroom," Leah said with a laugh. "You're making me nauseous." Storm laughed with her before waltzing down the hallway towards her room. Leah shut her door with a chuckle. Storm was turning out to be a mystery. A mystery that really needed solving. She couldn't wait to get to know Storm better. Already she was forming a tight bond with the woman.

Leah adjusted a chair that was slightly out of place and found herself feeling jealous of Storm. Not of Logan specifically, but of the happy wonderland that Storm was living in. Leah hadn't felt that way in a long time. She shook her head to clear the memories and was startled by hearing her door close. She turned around to see Angel standing in the doorway. He gave her a small wave.

She waved back, but he saw the sadness still lingering in her eyes. He moved closer to her and tilted her chin upwards with one finger, examining her face.

"Something's wrong," he said, brows furrowing. "What is it?"

"Nothing," she replied quickly, pulling away from his grasp. She turned her back to him, fiddling with some papers again, and she found herself thinking of how she'd have to organize them yet again later on. She sighed. He moved farther away from her, examining the personal objects she had added to the room. He took a deep breath and broke the awkward silence.

"Look... I was wondering if you wanted to come on a fly with me. I haven't gone airborne in a few days, and I was wondering if you'd like to join me." She turned around, a smile on her face and eyes sparkling. He grabbed her hand and led her out the door. They moved toward the exit and he stood there, holding both her hands in his.

"I'm not... sure..." she started, but he just smiled.

"Come on. Don't worry, I won't let you fall."

She called water to her, and it gathered around her feet, lifting her into the air. He zoomed upward quickly, and she struggled to keep up. He looped back around to her, and with a quick "C'mon," he grabbed her and lifted her out of her water bubble. She was below him, her whole body pressed against his. His arms were around her waist and his great white wings flapped the air.

"I'm sorry," he whispered quietly in her ear. "I didn't mean to pry before." She smiled.

"I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to be so..." she fumbled for a good word, but then found she didn't need one. She closed her eyes and savored the sensation of the wind around her. He laughed.

"Don't just close your eyes, Leah. Look down." She did, and gasped. They were below the clouds, but the city was a beautiful sight below them. The weather, of course, was perfect due to Storm's heightened spirits, and the sun glimmered off the minuscule buildings and cars. People, like little toys, walked between buildings and across streets. She laughed at the beauty of it all.

"The first step at becoming a member of the X-Team," Angel said, laughter in his voice, "is to come up with a corny nickname." She giggled. "And ideas? There are plenty available for a hydrokinetic."

She pondered this as she felt him turning back towards Xavier Institute. She said, "How about... something with aqua?" She let herself ponder this for a few moments. "What do you think of Aquara?" He smiled.

"I love it." They began their descent down to the backyard of the school. They landed gracefully on the basketball court, right near the wet patch that she had left behind after her not-so-graceful start. She laughed, and the water evaporated.

"Thank you, Angel. We should do this again sometime." He smiled.

"Definitely." He stroked his finger across her cheek, and took off. She watched him fly away, looking as beautiful and graceful as ever. She walked back towards the school, thinking that maybe, sometime soon, she would have a happy wonderland for herself.